Do you know you can increase your job interviews in a bad economy? Does this statement sound absurd? Truly it is not.

Most people will fall into the temptation of holding on to the job they have (even if they are not really happy with it) rather than venture out into a poor economy…thinking it will garner them little result or create unnecessary risk.

You and I both know it’s easy to let fear paralyze our actions…sacrificing what we really want when we don’t think we can achieve our aim. However, let me share with you five tips to help you understand how you can start moving forward and achieving your goals now instead of later (and land more interviews in the process):

Tip number one: Start your search when your competition is at a minimum
Quite simply, this includes committing to your job search during a “bad” economy. It can also include months like December which is actually (statistically) a good time to begin a job search – another time when your competition is often absent.

Tip number two: Go for the growing markets
To explore growing markets online, visit jobbait.com and register for a free monthly report which details which markets are growing and in what states. When you target a growing market, you automatically increase you odds of landing more interviews.

Tip number three: Make sure your resume is written for your target market
Nothing tanks a good job search like a poorly focused and poorly crafted resume. Make certain your resume is written well.

If you are not sure how your resume stacks up, there are plenty of articles you can read on good resumes, samples you can look at online or in resume books (make sure to view the latest editions) and you can even get a resume critique.

One extra tip: it’s a great idea to have your resume professionally written. If you decide to go this route, make sure the writer is certified and has ample experience. You can find a whole list of certified resume writers at Careerdirectors.com.

Tip number four: Tap into the unadvertised job market
Major Job boards boast a measly 1 to 4% average response rate. That’s a lot of resumes to send out just to hear nothing back!

Make sure you have an adequate mix of associations, niche sites and direct company contacts in your job search strategy.

Depending on your particular goals, you might also benefit from working with recruiters, learning how to network properly (without asking for a job) and learning techniques for following up with companies that are experiencing some form of growth.

Tip number five: Understand the playing field
No matter how good you are, how exceptional your qualifications or how brilliant your references, it’s impossible for each and every connection you make to end up with a job offer.

Your positive responses are going to be smaller than the amount of inquiries you make, period. Such is the world of marketing. So make sure your expectations are congruent with the market so you don’t end up feeling discouraged over numbers which may actually be good!

Want to improve your odds? Techniques to tap into jobs that are not advertised can yield you from 20% to 60% favorable responses. If you are achieving those odds, then congratulations, you are doing a remarkable job!

Successful people generally have lots of good habits including taking challenges head on, investing in themselves and taking action. By integrating these five simple tips into your job search now, you too can achieve amazing results and reach your job search goals.

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After coaching hundreds of professionals over the years it has been enlightening to see and understand the various reasons people don’t get hired.

Here are a few mistakes you can easily avoid with a little practice:

Mistake #1: Too Arrogant
There is a fine line between the confidence you absolutely need to have and being overly confident in a job interview. If you catch yourself saying any of the following statements you might be you might be skating that line:

• I am in no rush
• I need XXX of money
• I am being interviewed by ___ other companies

State your achievements but stay grounded, respectful and diplomatic to ensure the best outcome. Definitely make certain your potential employer knows you are enthusiastic about the position!

Mistake #2: Too Laid Back
I am a big believer that things end where they begin and most employers would agree that first impressions are paramount. Failing to promptly return calls and send thank you notes are easy errors to make that have disastrous implications.

Mistake #3: Still Grieving
A tumultuous split, being fired or laid off are all difficult situations that usually take a grieving process to get over. Denying yourself the time it takes to heal and move on can result in you being “less than your best” in your interviews. Sometimes you might not even notice it … but unfortunately your interviewers will. Take a little time, have some kind of “moving on” ceremony (this helps tremendously) so when it comes time to talk about your past employment you can do so without raising any red flags.

Mistake #4: Too Money Driven
When you put the focus on the salary you will command too early in the interview, or before you are asked about money, then you are asking for money, not value to be the deciding factor in hiring you. Keep the focus on the value you bring to your potential employer and the money almost always takes care of itself.

Mistake #5: Too Vague
The best way for you to pique the interest of potential employers from the start is to take a strong sales/consultants role. Meaning specifically, you must continue to peel back the onion of their needs…and then speak to those needs. Those needs are their key reasons for wanting to hire you, so show them you understand what their challenges are and demonstrate you have the solutions. Failing to zero in on your potential employers needs can defiantly cost you the job.

By understanding how we are perceived in interview situations it’s much easier to circumvent potential roadblocks to your career success and job of your dreams.

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Mid Managers and executives get fired for lots of reasons. Some are legitimate for performance reasons and some firings are completely unjustified. Regardless of the reason for being let go there are solid methods for communicating the circumstances without it hurting your candidacy with future potential employers.

Here are three solid steps you can take to have successful interviews after being fired.

Step #1 – Give yourself time to decompress

This is the most important step you can and will take. If you have lost your job most likely you will go through a grieving process – similar to other significant life-losses we all experience. If you interview prematurely you may inadvertently “wear your grief” and/or find yourself unable to talk about your last employer with the kind of convincing detachment and discretion you will need to keep interviewers focused and excited about the value you offer them.

What if you need to begin to interview right away? Well then to speed up your “grieving process” while still honoring that time cycle, take a ceremonial weekend vacation, book a round of golf, a spa day or a family picnic by the lake. Whatever you decide make sure it’s fun and relaxing because this is your decompression time…just for yourself! Title your outing: “your ceremonial moving on.” This is a physical process that evokes very real physical and mental benefits.

I have seen this “moving-on ceremony” work wonders with my clients (it will work for you too!) and I have used it myself. When I left my last employer my husband threw me a congratulatory dinner and I bought myself a decadent slice of carrot cake, stuck and candle in it and we spent the evening talking about the future. It was wonderful!

Step #2 – Identify your allies

You want to contact any and all allies you have and had with your last company. These can include past colleagues, people that worked for you, key executives, clients and vendors. Anyone that can attest to your strengths, your attributes and anything positive. In applicable cases those individuals who can diplomatically hint that there were problems beyond your control with your last company can be especially helpful. Remember references can be provided by lots of other people besides your immediate “boss”.

Step #3 – Prescript a BRIEF but clear statement

Develop a brief statement about the reason you were fired and practice saying it. You can use it in your upcoming interviews. Keep it short and simple and clear. Here is an example:

Unfortunately I had no choice but to leave my last employer. When I originally took the position I was excited about________.

At first blush it seemed that their recent merger was going well. I had no idea there was such internal animosity amongst management. Perhaps in my excitement of the opportunity I missed the subtle signs. If I were to interview for another merger situation I would certainly know what questions to ask. Now I am focusing my attention on moving forward and I am quite excited to be here to talk with you about your corporation’s goals.

No matter what you “say” the secret is to be positive, bold and forward thinking. Your interviewers will focus on whatever you shine the spot light on so keep your attention on them, their challenges and how you can help them!

Using these three steps you can easily turn a situation you may be worrying about into a non-issue. Remember too, many people that have been fired worry terribly that they will have to make big sacrifices in order to land their next position. This is so often untrue! Use the situation to reflect on whatever can be learned from it, use these powerful techniques to minimize any damage and simply move on!

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This is one of those “trick” interview questions that answered wrong, could tank your candidacy rankings.

A general rule of thumb when interviewing is that you always want to answer trick questions with short answers. The reason is twofold. First, you don’t want to risk opening up a can of worms, rambling, getting nervous or defensive etc. And second, you want to minimize the time you spend answering “trick” interview questions so that you can spend the majority of your time answering questions that speak to your strengths and aptitudes as they match what your interviewer is looking for!

So memorizing short answers to the top three or four trick questions is a very wise move. I consider this question to be one of those top three or four trick questions.

It used to be that the seemingly correct answer to this question was:

I want to have your job!

Or:

I want to sit where you are sitting!

However now that answer is seen as too coarse and not politically correct.

Another pitfall to watch out for with this question is you probably will not know if your potential employer is interviewing you for a position that is prime for promotional opportunities, or if they want someone solid in the role for many years.

Rather than guess what they are thinking, here is a completely safe (even bombproof!) answer you can give:

Well, I would expect to be advancing based on my job performance and taking on additional responsibilities.

You can even add:

And I would anticipate being appropriately compensated for it.

Finally you can say:

Since we are on the subject can you tell me where you see the growth of this company/position in the next several years?

Not only is this a great answer but you can follow it up with a great question! You will look engaged, enthusiastic and interested in the company and the position…a triple threat!

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This is the one question that seems to strike fear in the heart of every job seeker. Not only does it put you, the candidate in an uncomfortable position but the tone of the question itself is deliberately provocative.

However, this is one of the easiest questions to answer if you know the right formula!

First, a little preparation.

You want to take whatever job description you have of the position with you into the interview. If you do not have a job description that is OK.  At the beginning of the interview, you want to ask the interviewer to describe the qualities and skills that the company is looking for in a top candidate. Discretely jot down the highlights of whatever they tell you.  By the way, these are your talking points for the rest of the interview.

When the dreaded question arises…why should I hire you, you simply look down at your notes and state back to your interviewer your understanding of the key qualifications. So you would say something like this:

Well as I understand it you are looking for someone who can….

As they nod their head in agreement you add:

Not only do have have many/all of those skills and qualifications, I hope it’s not too forward to share with you that I am really excited about this position!

Alternative positive statements include:

…I really see myself working here.

…I really want this job!

Though this is a simple technique, be sure not to discount the powerful effect it has. You will have to try it out to see its full effect and I promise you it will be a very positive one.

Usually the intent of the interviewer in asking provocative interview questions is to see how you will respond. Will you stammer? Get defensive? Go on and on? So, a smooth, confident and positive answer wins every time!

Use this simple yet powerful technique to help ace your interviews!

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Do you want a simple yet powerful way to secure bigger job offers?

It all starts in the interview – when money comes up.

If money comes up in the first interview or in a phone interview, and you give up information such as how much you made in your last position or what you are looking for in terms of compensation, then you have successfully steered the focus of the interview….in the wrong direction.

When money is brought to the spotlight before a company has had time to get to know you and all of the value you could bring to them, then how much it will “cost” to hire you will take center stage. And when this happens you will have to work harder in order to compel your interviewers to see above and beyond your price tag.

Not only do you stand to loose your negotiating power by prematurely mentioning money, but the dollar figure you mention will now serve as an immovable backdrop against the successful communication of  your strengths and attributes.

It’s interesting how this works – but its very true.

You might be thinking “Well how do I get around such a direct question about money in my interviews? After all, I don’t want to appear rude and hurt my chances of being invited back.”  It’s wise to be considerate of these points; however you can successfully sidestep these questions and prolong discussions about money for a later interview by using these simple techniques:

Technique Number 1

When you are asked how much money you are looking for, simply state that salary is important to you but equally important are benefits. Ask them since you are on the subject, If they could share their benefit package with you.

This is a simple diversion that is extremely effective.

Technique Number 2

When asked about how much compensation you are looking for or what you currently make, you can share that although you would be happy to discuss money with them, you were hoping to get a better understanding of the opportunity and give them a little more time to get to know you – in order to see if there is a potential fit.

Follow this statement up with asking them “If that is OK.” After all, you are offering not to answer their question so your diplomacy and polite response will help you to successfully sidestep this question until a later interview.

Using these two simple techniques will help you keep a focus on your skills and abilities as they relate to the position you are interviewing for – and set the tone and pace for a bigger and better offer!

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